No More Sorrow
by zI Maleficent
Summary: "He suggestively fingered the trigger of his Plasma Cutter, his temple throbbing for one shot to end it." OneShot taking place at the tail-end of Dead Space.


Disclaimer: Dead Space is the intellectual property of Electronic Arts. I do not own any characters, concepts or other creations held within this story.

Isaac ambled towards the shuttle; the door retreating into its frame to accommodate his entry. He stumbled towards the cockpit, exhaustion manifesting his every step. Slumping down ungracefully into his chair, weariness ate away at him. The events over the last few days had driven him to the brink, drawn upon every iota of physical and mental strength he possessed. His mind and body had grown distressed, numb in light of all the violence, all the killing, all the never-ending haunts he could still envision clear as day.

He shook his head in an attempt to dispel these thoughts, only to have them flood back. Images of Nicole bounced around within his head, in response a deep pang of sorrow and grief echoed in his mind. He removed his helmet gingerly, tendrils of perspiration raced down his face. After a moment, two crystalline tears balled in the corners of his eyes. Unable to contain himself longer, the tears flowed gently down his face. The floodgates opened up like a bursting dam, the pressure becoming too much.

He pressed his hands onto the holo-panel, playing the message over and over again, each time the sight of her glorious blue eyes tugged at the chords of his heart. Tears were flowing freely now, a vortex of agony and despair opened up in his mind, crushing underfoot the last semblances of sanity while they drove his mind to darker and darker places. He suggestively fingered the trigger of his Plasma Cutter, his temple throbbing for one shot to end it. One small pulse of light to make it all disappear. Forever.

He bowed his head. Newly-formed tears marked his face as he keyed the delete button. The eerie-blue light which had bathed the shuttle faded, leaving only infinite dark and quiet to encompass Isaac's grief.

"Nicole..." was all he could utter as the final strings anchoring him towards life began to snap under the intensity of his pain, his loss, his despair. He sank further into the armchair, placing both arms on the armrests. He sat for a while in this deathly silence, spiralling into self-loathing before an all-too familiar rasping sound from the abyssal maw caught his attention. He mouthed 'Oh God no...' as he spun. Then, as if flicking a switch, his suffering was put on standby as another familiar feeling made its presence known. Fear. From the darkness beyond, a Necromorph bounded at Isaac, sending him sprawling across the control panel and his trusty 'Cutter skittering across the floor.

Survival instincts kicked into high octave as Isaac immediately tried to grapple with the creature, both foes locked in a monumental struggle which would spell imminent death for the loser. Panic set in as he realised that he had removed his helmet and was dangerously exposed. There was no way he would be able to reach his Plasma Cutter in time, and so he realised with an innate sense of foreboding that he would have to brawl with the creature hand-to-hand and attempt to kill it that way. There was little light in the cabin, but he could make out the basic shape of something resembling a Slasher, though smaller and seemingly less disfigured.

Isaac shifted to the side and spun, using his muscle mass to try and pin the creature into submission under his weight, though his opponent was not so easily overpowered. As the creature was rotated, it pulled Isaac along and both slipped from the control panel, careening across the floor. A glimmer of hope ignited within Isaac's mind as he made a grab for the Plasma Cutter and spun, bringing it to bare on the aggressor, but a moment too late as the creature leapt upon him, knocking the gun from his grasp and pinning him to the wall. The Necromorph enclosed it's limbs around Isaac, pulling him closer towards it's jaws. Isaac resisted, using all the strength his ravaged body could muster. The creature's grip intensified and Isaac could feel his body waning, his strength, his determination, failing. He could smell the horrific breath permeating from the Necromorph's gaping maw as the jaws of death drew closer and closer.

Like a giant snake, the creature continued to squeeze, Isaac's final reserves of resistance fading. When his right arm was on the verge of giving way, Isaac jerked his head sharply to the right as his arm fell from its place and the multi-barbed jaw jutted forwards, striking the wall. The creature roared in agony as a hail of spittle and blood flew from it's wound. Isaac deftly rolled away, his eyes coming alight with the possibility of escape. Clutching the Plasma Cutter with new-found strength he spun as quickly as his body was able. He slammed the trigger, sending neon pulses of light retorting across the cabin, lighting up the abyss in flashes. The creature's cry of pain betrayed a direct hit, and he continued to fire, not even bothering to aim any more.

After expending an entire clip, he breathed a giant sigh of relief and flicked the cabin internal lighting on, gasping at the sight before him. He stared onwards in shock and horror at the form he witnessed, sprawled across the floor in a pool of blood and other vile fluids. He could swear that the thing that lay before him was...Nicole.

"No..."

He looked the creature over, shuffling awkwardly closer, wincing at one particular limb which hung by a single strand of flesh, threatening to fall off at any moment. The creature's cries had died down into subdued whimpering now. He continued his perplexed analysis. It was a Necromorph, but...it was Nicole. It looked less mutated than the others, but still mangled.

"Nicole...?" Isaac uttered, struggling to take the situation in. Isaac inched forward, the clanking of his boots dreadfully loud in the once-again quiet room. The creature made no motion, or even acknowledged his approach. He looked into the eyes and almost jumped with a start. The eyes which stared back at him were shockingly human, carrying an intense agony, speaking of a hidden plea held within. His emotions in radical flux, he attempted to pick up Nicole, setting her against the wall.

He continued to stare into her eyes, and in seeing life within, wondered if Nicole herself was indeed in there somewhere. He stood stock-still for a moment, trying to rationalise the situation, and scarcely noticed what occurred next as a slight metallic taste entered his mouth. He ran his fingers along his lips and saw blood. Eyes shot open as an explosion of agony shot throughout his abdomen. Looking down in horror, Isaac spotted far too late the Necromorph's one good arm plunged into his gut. The creature pulled its limb from the Engineer, causing blood to gush like a waterfall over the floor. Isaac mouthed the word 'Why' as he collapsed. A perverse sense of pleasure seemed to come over the creature. Death was finally coming, and Isaac felt a strange combination of anger and relief as the end drew ever nearer and his life-blood continued to spill.

"I'm...so..sorry!" Isaac choked behind bloodied teeth. The Necromorph bent downwards as Isaac awaited the inevitable, bittersweet release that would accompany his passing. His final vision before darkness faded inwards was Nicole reach towards him, eyes simultaneously hungry and regretful. A moment later, Isaac's body went limp, his corpse remaining only to satiate the hunger of his former love.


End file.
